Family launch £2 billion claim over helicopter crash that killed former Leicester owner

LONDON: The household of the erstwhile Leicester City proprietor killed successful a chopper clang person launched a £2.15 cardinal ($2.63 billion) ineligible assertion against the manufacturers of the aircraft, it was announced Friday.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and 4 others were killed erstwhile the Thai billionaire's idiosyncratic chopper crashed soon aft taking disconnected from the Premier League club's King Power Stadium successful October 2018.

Srivaddhanaprabha's household allege Leonardo S.p.A., which manufactured the helicopter, is liable for his death.

They are present seeking £2.15bn successful compensation for nonaccomplishment of net arsenic a effect of his death, the symptom helium experienced earlier helium died, and ceremonial expenses, according to London-based nationalist relations steadfast Portland, who are acting for the family.

A study by Britain’s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) said “serious concerns” had been raised astir the helicopter’s safety, according to Portland.

The steadfast said the household started enactment astatine London’s High Court connected Friday, with Portland adding: “The study recovered the clang was caused by the seizure of a cardinal constituent located successful the process rotor, which Leonardo had identified successful the plan signifier arsenic being critical, and its nonaccomplishment catastrophic.

“This nonaccomplishment prompted a series of further failures which drove the chopper into an uncontrollable and accelerating rotation until it crashed and erupted into flames.”

Multiple failures successful Leonardo’s plan process caused the constituent to seize, Portland said, insisting: “The AAIB study concluded determination was thing the aviator could person done to forestall the crash.”

At the clip of the crash, Srivaddhanaprabha's Thai question retail group, King Power, earned much than £2.5 cardinal a twelvemonth successful revenue, the steadfast said. Its nett net reached £237 cardinal during the twelvemonth earlier his death, it added.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who succeeded his begetter arsenic Leicester chairman, said: “My household feels the nonaccomplishment of my begetter arsenic overmuch contiguous arsenic we ever person done.

“That my ain children and their cousins volition ne'er cognize their gramps compounds our suffering.”

He added: “We person reflected connected the conclusions of the AAIB study and thought cautiously astir however we wished to proceed.

“My begetter trusted Leonardo erstwhile helium bought that chopper but the conclusions of the study into his decease amusement that his spot was fatally misplaced.

“I clasp them wholly liable for his death.”